YEAR'S WORK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 253, 26 October 1933, Page 3

YEAR'S WORK.

DRAWINGS EXHIBITED.

ARCHITECTURAL STUDENTS.

EARTHQUAKE-RESISTING STRUCTURES.

The year's work of the students of the architectural department of the Auckland University College is strikingly depicted in an exhibition of the more outstanding drawings of tlie year, 5 which was opened in the main hall > yesterday afternoon by the president of the college, Mr. Kenneth Mackenzie, before a large attendance. Among those [ on the platform were Professor Maxwell r Walker, chairman of the Professorial 1 Board, Mr. W. H. Glimmer, president of ( the New Zealand Institute of Architects, Mr. J. Park, chairman of the Auckland ? branch of the institute, Mr. L. Piper, . chairman of the institute's education , committee, and Professor C. R. Knight, . dean of the faculty of fine arts, who has organised the exhibition. Professor Knight stressed the fact that the exhibition was not planned to be of a spectacular, unusual or novel 1 nature, but rather an effort to encourage sincere attention to details and to show ■ the public representative examples of the students' handwork during the session. Among the first-year work are very 1 fine compositions or analytiques, of which there are Roman, Greek, Byzantine, Egyptian, Italian and Romanesque examples. The second-year work shows the gradually-increasing difficulty of tlie studies. The ability to express ideas on paper is developed, and in this connection Professor Knight said that the training of the hand took longer than the training of the mind. Earthquake Resisting. In the third year difficult problems of construction are worked out, examples of which are shown in this section. Specially good are the structural designs Ifor town halls an<l libraries. Following these are more advanced city buildings | I by tlie fourth year students, in which j special attention is paid to the eartli- ; quake resisting strength of reinforced concrete structures. A thorough training is given in this important branch of architecture by Mr. S. I. Crookes, jun., who has conducted considerable research into the subject. His recent bulletins on the latest methods of making earthquake resisting buildings have been favourably received in all parts of the world. It is interesting to note that much has been learnt from the Japanese in the successful construction of buildings that will resist the ravages of earthquake. Final Theses. In the fifth and final year students submit theses for their degree of B. Arch. Of these theses two sets are shown. One by Mr. R. J. Seward consists of seven sheets of drawing of a law courts building. Mr. Seward made a study of the Wellington Law Courts before planning his designs, which are clearly and economically done. The finished structure would be an asset to the civic buildings of any city. The other theses is by Mr. R. W. Syme, and' shows a proposed school of fine arts for Auekland. A special section is set aside with examples of domestic dwellings by students of all years. Of trie small brick houses suitable for New Zealand suburbs the two winning designs in the recent competition by the brick manufacturers, are exhibited. They were designed by Mr. R. G. S. Beatson and Mr. M. C. Gray, and both show well-proportioned fronts that would be worthy of any suburban district. A third very good design, by Mr. R. L. Thorpe, was not eligible for the competition. Other Sections. Houses in concrete and plaster show a modernistic tendency. In one instance the plans for such a house have been executed in miniature and a model has been faithfully made. Holiday sketches and water colours done during the holidays are exhibited on the stage, and make an artistic display. Two prizes presented in this section by Messrs. Gummer and Ford have been awarded to Messrs. M. C. Gray and C. C. G. Webb. Among the additional sections are examples of freehand drawings of male figures, posters advertising university events, and a very fine pencil drawing of the doorway of St. Paul's Church. The school finalists for the Tite Prize, which is open to the Empire, are Messrs. M. C. Gray, H. A. Claridge and W. G. Warren, while another Empire award, the Soame Medallion, has been awarded to Mr. L. ~D. Morrison. The exhibition will be open to the public until next Saturday. The chairman, Mr. Kenneth Mackenzie, said that the exhibition marked the close of the eighth year of the school. The practical assistance given in those early days by the Institute of Architects was gratefully remembered. The college council was fully aware of the deficiencies in the facilities, which made the work of the students particularly difficult, but it was hoped that the future would bring its remedy. Grateful ; acknowledgments were made for the contribution of an annual prize by the Amalgamated Brick and Pipe Company and for the offer by the board of governors of St. John's College of two residential scholarships for architectural students. The limitation of funds would prevent the award this year of a travelling scholarship, but : for the first time there would be a senior scholarship this year.